Receptacle for holding medical supplies

ABSTRACT

RECEPTACLE FOR HOLDING MEDICAL SUPPLIES A receptacle for holding medical supplies is necessary for a caregiver to quickly and efficiently obtain desired medical supplies within a caregiving room or a caregiving vehicle, such as Emergency Medical Service vehicles, fire engines, or ambulances. Caregiving rooms and vehicles can be small and lack cabinets sufficient to hold certain medical supplies. The present invention&#39;s slim structure can be either mounted on a wall, placed on a countertop, on a floor, or on a stand of the caregiving room or vehicle. When the present invention is opaque or clear, the medical supplies contained therein are visible. The receptacle can also be a solid color with the contents and their warning indications depicted on the outer front of the receptacle. A user can conveniently and expediently extract medical supplies through openings on the receptacle by using only one hand since the medical supply containers are restrained by the restraint feature of the receptacle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a receptacle for holding medical supplies for use in connection with a caregiving facility or with caregiving vehicles, such as Emergency Medical Service vehicles, fire engines, or ambulances. The receptacle for holding medical and cleaning supplies has particular utility in connection with providing a caregiver convenient and expedient access to medical or cleaning supplies.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Receptacles for holding medical supplies are desirable for organizing medical supplies and making them accessible to a caregiver.

[0005] The use of receptacles for holding medical supplies is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,646 to Carter discloses a medical utility storage assembly for reusable medical equipment. However, the Carter '646 patent does not provide separate container areas within the receptacle for holding separate medical supply containers, and has further drawbacks of being difficult to mount or place in or near a caregiving facility room or inside caregiving vehicles, such as Emergency Medical Service vehicles, fire engines, or ambulances.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,944 to Kraft et al discloses a medication dispenser system that holds medication units with robotics for manipulating a selected container to transfer one or more medication units from the container directly to said package to avoid cross-contamination. However, the Kraft '944 patent does not depict the contents of each container area, and additionally does not have a slim shape allowing it to fit slimly along a wall in or near a caregiving facility room or in caregiving vehicles, such as Emergency Medical Service vehicles, fire engines, or ambulances.

[0007] Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,249 to Coulombe discloses a medical supplies container that comprises a base wall, four upright side walls and a peripheral flange projecting outwardly from the top edges of the side walls with a few bores for holding a hypodermic syringe, a needle and a needle holder. However, the Coulombe '249 patent does not provide for various medical supply containers, and is not designed for use in the same manner as the receptacle for holding medical supplies of the present invention.

[0008] Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. D303,051 to Steed discloses a holder for medical supplies or the like to be mounted on the handrail. However, the Steed '051 patent does not show a medical supply holder with separate container areas sectioned therein, and has the additional deficiency of lacking a restraint to hold medical supply containers in place when extracting medical supplies therefrom.

[0009] While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a receptacle for holding medical supplies that allows convenient and expedient access to medical or cleaning supplies. The Steed patent makes no provision for being mounted on a wall or being operable to stand upright on either the floor or a stand.

[0010] Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved receptacle for holding medical supplies that can be used for providing a caregiver convenient and expedient access to medical or cleaning supplies. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the receptacle for holding medical supplies according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing a caregiver convenient and expedient access to medical or cleaning supplies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of receptacles for holding medical supplies now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved receptacle for holding medical or cleaning supplies, and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved receptacle for holding medical supplies and method of filling receptacle with desired medical or cleaning supplies, placing receptacle in or near a caregiving room or vehicle, reaching through opening of receptacle, and grasping desired medical supply for use which has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a receptacle for holding medical or cleaning supplies which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.

[0012] To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a receptacle for holding medical supplies comprising a front wall, a rear wall, a plurality of side walls defining a plurality of receptacle areas such that each receptacle area is defined by the rear wall and at least one internal wall and the front wall to allow medical supplies to fit into the receptacle area for dispensing purposes such that all of these medical supply receptacle areas are collinear, a bottom wall that connects perpendicularly to the plurality of side walls and to the front wall and rear wall, and a restraint member that holds a medical supply container while a user is extracting medical supplies from the medical supply container held inside the receptacle.

[0013] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.

[0014] The invention may also include a receptacle that displays information regarding the contents or warnings of the medical or cleaning supply containers therein. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.

[0015] Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0016] As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0017] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved receptacle for holding medical supplies that has all of the advantages of the prior art receptacles for holding medical supplies and none of the disadvantages.

[0018] It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved receptacle for holding medical supplies that may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

[0019] An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved receptacle for holding medical supplies that has a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such receptacle for holding medical supplies economically available to the buying public.

[0020] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new receptacle for holding medical supplies that provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.

[0021] Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a receptacle for holding medical supplies for providing a caregiver convenient and expedient access to medical or cleaning supplies. This allows a receptacle for holding certain medical or cleaning supplies which are most frequently used in or near a particular caregiving facility or vehicle to be conveniently held together for convenient and expedient access. The receptacle of the present invention contains separate container areas within itself in rows to allow a slim receptacle design operable to be mounted on a wall or placed on a floor, countertop, or a stand taking up very little space. This invention also restrains the medical supply containers held therein while a user is extracting medical or cleaning supplies from the medical or cleaning supply containers, respectively, inside the receptacle. The present invention comprises openings which mirror those on the medical supply containers held therein, which allows a user to expediently and conveniently extract medical supplies while using only one hand.

[0022] Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of extracting medical supplies from their containers while held inside a receptacle with a restraint to hold the medical or cleaning supply containers in place which has openings that mirror the openings on the medical or cleaning supply containers.

[0023] These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

[0025]FIG. 1 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the receptacle for holding medical supplies constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

[0026]FIG. 2 is a side view of the receptacle for holding medical supplies of the present invention.

[0027]FIG. 3 is a overview view of the receptacle for holding medical supplies of the present invention.

[0028] The same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the various figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0029] Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1-3, a preferred embodiment of the receptacle for holding medical supplies of the present invention is shown and generally designated by the reference numeral 10.

[0030] In FIG. 1, a new and improved receptacle for holding medical supplies 10 of the present invention for providing a caregiver convenient and expedient access to medical or cleaning supplies is illustrated and will be described. More particularly, the receptacle for holding medical supplies 10 has a front wall 12, rear wall 14, a plurality of side walls 16, with at least one internal wall 18 that forms separate container areas 20 inside the receptacle 10. A bottom wall 22 connects perpendicularly to the plurality of side walls 16 and to the front wall 12 and rear wall 14. Medical supply containers 24 holding medical supplies 26 are held inside the container areas 20 and restrained by a restraint member 28 while a user is extracting medical supplies 26 from medical supply containers 24 held inside the receptacle 10.

[0031]FIG. 1 shows a receptacle 10 that can either be transparent or translucent or a combination thereof to show the presence or absence of medical supply containers 24 therein. Receptacles 10 can also be a color or variety of colors with the contents and warning indications of the medical supplies 26 held inside depicted on the outer wall of the receptacle 10. Receptacles 10 can have a combination of color and transparency or translucency, and can hold cleaning supplies, also.

[0032]FIG. 2 shows a side view of the receptacle for holding medical supplies 10. FIG. 2 shows how some of the internal walls 18 can be vertical to form a shelf 30 inside the receptacle 10 for holding various shapes of medical supply containers 24. FIG. 2 also shows the slim design of the present invention.

[0033]FIG. 3 shows an overview of the receptacle 10 and how the plurality of side walls 16 and internal walls 18 form separate container areas 20 for holding medical supply containers 24.

[0034] The receptacle for holding medical supplies 10 can stand upright on a floor or a stand, or be mounted to a wall. The receptacle 10 can be made of plastic, glass, metal, stainless steel, wood, rigid cardboard or other like materials.

[0035] In use, it can now be understood that a receptacle for holding medical supplies is essential for any room in or near a caregiving facility or with caregiving vehicles, such as Emergency Medical Service vehicles, fire engines, or ambulances to conveniently and expediently dispense medical supplies.

[0036] While a preferred embodiment of the receptacle for holding medical supplies has been described in detail, it should be apparent that modifications and variations thereto are possible, all of which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. For example, any suitable sturdy material such as metal, stainless steel, glass, plastic, cardboard, or a variety of wood may be used instead of the plastic described. Also, the hooks or some other type of mounting mechanism may be attached to the back or sides of the receptacle for placement in or near a caregiving facility room or vehicle. This invention may also comprise a non-slip surface area. And although providing a caregiver convenient and expedient access to medical supplies has been described, it should be appreciated that the receptacle for holding medical supplies herein described is also suitable for holding and dispensing a variety of objects. Furthermore, a wide variety of supplies and supply containers may be used. And the receptacle can be customized to be loaded from the top, sides, or bottom depending on the needs of the user.

[0037] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

I claim:
 1. A receptacle for holding medical supplies comprising: a front wall; a rear wall; a plurality of side walls defining a plurality of receptacle areas such that each receptacle area is defined by the rear wall and at least one internal wall and the front wall to allow medical supplies to fit into the receptacle area for dispensing purposes such that all of these medical supply receptacle areas are collinear; a bottom wall that connects perpendicularly to the plurality of side walls and to the front wall and rear wall; and a restraint member that holds a medical supply container while a user is extracting medical supplies from the medical supply container held inside the receptacle.
 2. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 1 wherein the presence or absence of medical supply containers is visible within the receptacle area.
 3. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 1 further comprising a top section and a bottom section.
 4. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 3 further comprising: means for accessing medical supplies from the top section.
 5. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 3 further comprising: means for accessing medical supplies from the bottom section.
 6. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 1 wherein the receptacle is operable to be mounted on a wall.
 7. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 6 wherein the receptacle further comprises at least one hook.
 8. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 1 wherein the bottom wall is operable to stand upright when placed on a flat surface and comprises a non-slip surface area.
 9. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 1 wherein the receptacle further comprises a stand.
 10. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 1 wherein the receptacle is made of a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, metal, glass, stainless steel, wood and cardboard.
 11. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 10 wherein the receptacle is completely translucent.
 12. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 10 wherein the receptacle is partially translucent.
 13. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 10 wherein the receptacle is completely opaque.
 14. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 10 wherein receptacle has a colored tint.
 15. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 10 wherein receptacle is a color.
 16. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 11 wherein warning labels on the medical supply containers are visible through the translucent receptacle.
 17. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 13 wherein portions of the walls are translucent where warning labels on the medical supply containers are visible through the translucent portion of the walls.
 18. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 13 wherein safety information is indicated on the front wall.
 19. The receptacle for holding medical supplies of claim 13 wherein contents are indicated on the front wall.
 20. A receptacle for holding medical supplies comprising: a front wall; a rear wall; a plurality of side walls defining a plurality of receptacle areas such that each receptacle area is defined by the rear wall and at least one internal wall and the front wall to allow medical supplies to fit into the receptacle area for dispensing purposes such that all of these medical supply receptacle areas are collinear; a bottom wall that connects perpendicularly to the plurality of side walls and to the front wall and rear wall; and a restraint member that holds a cleaning supply container while a user is extracting cleaning supplies from the cleaning supply container held inside the receptacle. 